I’ve been a little slow moving this week, recovering from finishing my eBook A Brunch for the Season: Winter. It was a labor of love for sure, but as with most projects, there’s always that last push that can leave you pretty tired in the end. I’m back in the full swing of things now so let’s get to it!
Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, right? I’m way overdue for making one for you, so with that in mind, I headed into the kitchen this week to do just that!
If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen the photo of the back of my car overflowing with our cut and wrapped hog order. Holy cow – er… I mean holy hog, it was huge this year! With such a big hog, it means we have so much more of our favorite cuts, including the always tasty pork shoulder. It’s such a great cut of meat to just set it and forget it. Cooking it low and slow means you’ll always end up with tender meat that falls right off the bone. This characteristic makes it a perfect candidate for the slow cooker!
This Pulled Pork Tortilla-less Soup came out amazing. The deep, Mexican flavors pair so well with the pulled pork, and because we keep it grain-free around here, you will not miss the tortillas one bit.
I topped mine with avocado, green onions and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you’re a cilantro fan, that would be a great addition as well. I’m just one of those weird people who taste soap when they eat cilantro. Tragic, I know.
Your house will smell so lovely as this soup cooks away in the slow cooker. Since I work from home, it was basically taunting me the whole day with it’s delicious scent wafting up to my office.
Pulled Pork Tortilla-less Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lb Pork Shoulder bone-in or bone-less
- 4 medium Carrots sliced 1/4" thick
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper diced 1"
- 1 Green Bell Pepper diced 1"
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- 7 oz can of Fire Roasted Diced Green Chilies mild
- 14.5 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
- 6 oz can Tomato Paste
- 4-5 cups Bone Broth (chicken, pork or beef)
Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Garlic
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
Optional additions for topping
- Avocado
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Fresh Lime Juice
Instructions
- Combine seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Coat the outside of the pork shoulder with the seasoning, reserving 2 Tbsp to be added to the soup later.
- In a slow cooker, add all the vegetables, canned ingredients, 4 cups of broth and reserved seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Place the pork shoulder into the slow cooker and submerge it in the broth. Add more broth as needed to fully cover the pork shoulder.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours. The pork shoulder is ready when it pulls apart easily.
- When fully cooked, remove the pork shoulder and place it on a cutting board. Shred the pork using two forks and place the shredded pork back into the soup. Discard the bone if there is one.
- Serve warm, and top each bowl with avocado, cilantro and/or sliced green onions, and a fresh squeeze of lime.
Have you made your own bone broth before? Check out my recipe for Nutrient Dense Bone Broth!